Anambra student Ejikeme Mmesoma is expected to be eligible to sit for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination again this July, as the three-year sanction imposed on her by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board over the 2023 result forgery controversy reaches its end.
The case attracted national attention in 2023 after Mmesoma publicly claimed she scored 362 in the UTME. The result was initially celebrated before JAMB declared it fake, insisting her actual score was 249.
According to the examination body, investigations revealed that the result slip had been altered before it was printed. JAMB also pointed to inconsistencies in the document, including the registration details and the outdated result format used.
Although Mmesoma first denied any wrongdoing, the Anambra State Government later set up an investigative panel to determine what happened.
The committee, chaired by Prof. Nkemdili Nnonyelu, reviewed evidence and heard from JAMB officials, Mmesoma, her school authorities and other witnesses.
Its findings confirmed that the score of 362 was not authentic and that Mmesoma’s genuine UTME score was 249. The panel also stated that she admitted altering the result and apologised for her actions.
Following the report, JAMB cancelled the forged result and announced a three-year ban from all its examinations.
“In the meantime, the management of the Board, after considering the weighty infraction committed by Ms. Ejikeme Joy Mmesoma, and in line with its established procedures, has withdrawn her 2023 UTME result and also barred her from sitting the Board’s examination for the next three years,” JAMB spokesman Fabian Benjamin said.
The board maintained that its examination system was never compromised and attributed the incident solely to result falsification.
The controversy also cost Mmesoma a scholarship previously offered by Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing, while her father later appealed to Nigerians and JAMB for forgiveness.
“My daughter didn’t open up to me on time. When I realised the mistake she did, I blamed her a lot but I’m still apologising to JAMB and Nigerians to pardon her,” he said.
Governor Chukwuma Soludo subsequently directed that she undergo three months of psychotherapy and counselling.
The incident sparked widespread public debate, with politicians, education experts and civil society groups weighing in. While some initially questioned JAMB’s decision, many accepted the board’s position after Mmesoma admitted to manipulating the result before the state panel.
With the ban ending this month, Mmesoma can once again apply to write the UTME if she chooses to continue her academic journey. Her case remains one of the country’s most notable examination misconduct incidents in recent years.
